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May Peace Be Upon You

Assalamualaikum. That is probably the most common way Muslims greet each other. It means “Peace be upon you” (Muslim friends, please correct me if I’m wrong…). I think it is such a beautiful greeting. Simple, yet so powerful. To wish peace upon one another. To wish that the other person finds solace and peace even though the world around may be tumultuous. How much more wonderful would it be when we wish it upon everyone we meet, even strangers? And then the stranger responds and wishes peace back upon you? This was a social experiment that was conducted and taped down in this video:

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched this video. I love how so many people, when asked why they responded and wished peace back onto the “experimenter”, said something along the lines of “Oh, because you wished peace upon me, it’s only right that I respond and wish peace back onto you.”

Even if we aren’t Muslims, I think it is still very possible to wish peace upon the people we run into. Perhaps not with the exact same greeting, but with a friendly smile, or a cheerful hello. Let’s spread some cheer and joy. And hopefully, whatever little ripple we start will gather strength and become a tide of peace that washes over the world.